Lopes, jr
drapery device



y 1967 J. LoPEs, JR 3,321,004

DRAPERY DEVICE Filed July 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

Joy/v 0PE$ J Q.

May 23, 1967 J. LOPES, JR 3,321,004

DRAPERY DEVICE Filed July 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

J'OHAJ LOPEZ) J'E.

United States Patent York Filed July 20, 1965, Ser. No. 473,371 3 Claims. (Cl. 160--330) This invention relates generally to draperies, and has particular reference to a drapery device adapted to produce a swage-type valance and pendent jabot-type side panels.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a simple unitary product that can be readily hung without requiring special skill, and which will automatically produce an effect heretofore attainable only in relatively expensive custom-made installations.

Another objective is to provide an article of commerce that can be manufactured at relatively low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drapery device that will readily adapt itself to windows or other areas of different sizes.

The present improved device is composed, essentially, of three flat panels or elements of fabric or the like, stitched together in a specially designed relationship, and in association with a set of rod tunnels, so that the user is called upon merely to insert a rod through the tunnels. By doing so, the tunnels are brought into horizontal alignment, and the component panels are so proportioned and arranged that they will automatically drape themselves to produce the desired effect. By appropriate shirring the device can be readily adjusted by the user to fit areas of varying size.

The preferred way of achieving these general objects and advantages, and attaining such other benefits as may hereinafter be pointed out, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is a face view of the drapery device in its initially flat state;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device when hung on a rod;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the elements entering into the construction shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross-sectional views along the lines 4--4 and 5-5, respectively, of FIG. 1.

The central panel has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, i.e., it has a relatively long base edge 11, a shorter and parallel top edge 12, and inclined side edges 13 of equal length. The panel is notched at its upper corners, as shown at 14.

The side panels 15 are arranged in symmetrically opposed relation. In the embodiment chosen for illustration, each side panel 15 has the shape of a trapezoid in which one side edge is perpendicular to the base, i.e., in the panel 15 shown at the left of FIG. 3 the side edge 16 is perpendicular to the base 17, and top edge 18, and the panel 15 at the right of FIG. 3 is similarly provided with an edge 16 perpendicular to the edges 17 and 18.

In assemblying the elements, during the course of manufacture, the edge 16 of each side panel serves as an attachment edge, and is brought into a partial overlying relationship to the corresponding side edge 13 of the central panel 10. More particularly, each attachment edge 16 is aligned with the corresponding edge 13 in such a way that it extends approximately along half of the "ice edge 13, as indicated in FIG. 1. The outer region of each attachment edge 16 extends beyond the end of the edge 13.

Secured to the top edge 12 of the central panel 10 is a rod tunnel 19. Similar rod tunnels 20 are provided for the side edges 13, and each of these rod tunnels is long enough to extend for the full length of the overlying attachment edge 16.

The parts may be joined together in any suitable or desired fashion, and preferably the rod tunnels 20 serve, by means of stitching 21 (FIG. 4) to hold the side panels 15 to the central panel 10. The rod tunnel 19 is secured by similar stitching 22 to the top edge 12 of the central panel 10.

By inserting or threading a single rigid rod through the rod tunnels 19 and 20, the user of the device automatically brings the panels into the relationship shown in FIG. 2. The notches 14 permit the alignment of the tunnels 20 with the tunnel 19, without bringing about undesired bunching' of the material. The rod 23 may then be supported along the top edge of a window or other area to be ornamented, and the length of the drapery device can be readily adjusted by shirring its along the end regions 24 (FIG. 2). The medial region is prefer-ably left in unshirred condition.

The edges 18 of the panels 15, as well as the oblique edges 25 that face downwardly when the device is hung, may be provided with rufiies or the like, if desired.

While the side panels 15 have been shown as trapezoids, it will be readily understood that any polygonal shape may be employed, in which the polygon has an attachment edge (16) lying between a pair of adjacent corners.

It will thus be seen that a unitary device has been produced, easily manufacturable at relatively low cost, and ready for immediate use. The hanging of the device is extremely simple, and even an inexperienced and relatively unskilled user can produce the attractive drapery efiect shown in FIG. 2 by simply threading a rod 23 through the rod tunnels. By judicious selection of materials for the several panels, a variety of drapery effects can be produced, resembling custom-made installations that wouuld ordinarily entail a much greater cost.

The dimensional proportions shown in the drawings are preferred, to produce the desired effect to maximum advantage. However, it will be understood that structural details may in numerous respect be varied without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A drapery device for providing a swag valance and pendent side draperties, comprising a fiat central panel having the shape of an isosceles trapezoid and notched at its upper corners, a pair of symmetrically opposed flat side panels each having the shape of a polygon with an attachment edge lying between two adjacent 90 corners, each side panel partially overlying the central panel with said attachment edge secured to and aligned with the corresponding side edge of the central panel,

each attachment edge extending beyond the outer end of the side edge with which it is aligned,

a rod tunnel along the top edge of the central panel, and

a rod tunnel along each side edge of the central panel and extending for the full length of said attachment edge,

whereby the threading of a rod through said tunnels will bring them into horizontal alignment and automatically produce the desired drapery.

2. A drapery device as defined in claim 1, in which each side panel comprises a flat element having the shape of a trapezoid with one side edge perpendicular to the base, said side edge being the attachment edge referred to in claim 1. 1

3. A drapery device as defined in claim 2, in which said attachment edge overlies approximately half of the corresponding side edge of the central panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DRAPERY DEVICE FOR PROVIDING A SWAG VALANCE AND PENDENT SIDE DRAPERTIES, COMPRISING A FLAT CENTRAL PANEL HAVING THE SHAPE OF AN ISOSCELES TRAPEZOID AND NOTCHED AT ITS UPPER CORNERS, A PAIR OF SYMMETRICALLY OPPOSED FLAT SIDE PANELS EACH HAVING THE SHAPE OF A POLYGON WITH AN ATTACHMENT EDGE LYING BETWEEN TWO ADJACENT 90* CORNERS, EACH SIDE PANEL PARTIALLY OVERLYING THE CENTRAL PANEL WITH SAID ATTACHMENT EDGE SECURED TO AND ALIGNED WITH THE CORRESPONDING SIDE EDGE OF THE CENTRAL PANEL, EACH ATTACHMENT EDGE EXTENDING BEYOND THE OUTER END OF THE SIDE EDGE WITH WHICH IT IS ALIGNED, A ROD TUNNEL ALONG THE TOP EDGE OF THE CENTRAL PANEL, AND A ROD TUNNEL ALONG EACH SIDE EDGE OF THE CENTRAL PANEL AND EXTENDING FOR THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID ATTACHMENT EDGE, WHEREBY THE THREADING OF A ROD THROUGH SAID TUNNELS WILL BRING THEM INTO HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT AND AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCE THE DESIRED DRAPERY. 